June 23-25, 2026 (MOYALE, Ethiopia-Kenya) Ethiopia and Kenya jointly planned for synchronized cross-border vaccination and surveillance stemming from the bilateral cross-border cooperation agreement on animal health and sanitary measures which covers the IGAD Mandera Cluster (IGAD Cluster 3).
The cross-border event focused on harmonized surveillance, synchronized vaccination, outbreak response, livestock mobility, (sanitary and phytosanitary standards) SPS compliance and safer cross-border livestock trade. Further emphasis was on bringing the tools and systems available at the national level close to the cross-border level.
The forum brought together technical coordinators from national governments, sub-national and cross border administrations from Ethiopia and Kenya to present implementation status and update a joint surveillance and vaccination calendar for harmonized vaccinations against priority transboundary animal diseases (TADs) in their respective cross-border areas. Relevant regional development partners engaged in livestock development along the cross-border areas of the two countries such as VSF Suisse and Mercy Corps were also present.
A key milestone of this event was the launch of synchronized cross-border vaccination on both the Ethiopia and Kenya bordering district zones and counties which will continue until the end of August 2026.
On June 24th the vaccination launch took place in Baadyare Village, Kalkacha Kebele, Moyale District in Ethiopia, Somali Region. The exercise is projected to vaccinate a total of 1.2 million livestock. Elders Hajj Isaak Abdow and Hajj Abdinasir Mohamed speaking on behalf of the Baadyare community said, “As livestock keepers we are going through some challenges. Sometimes there’s outbreak of diseases and these days the diseases are even unknown. We are appealing, as communities, for your support in this journey so that we walk together to protect our livestock against diseases. Today’s vaccination is a milestone for us as communities. A prolonged vaccination is what we want, where no livestock are left behind”.
The Kenyan side launch took place on June 25th in Dugo Location, Bute Division of Wajir North Sub-County, Wajir County, Kenya, targeting a total of 2.7 million livestock by the end of the vaccination cycle. So far 700,000 livestock have been vaccinated. Elders Ibrahim Hassan and Abdirahman Hassan speaking on behalf of the Dugo community said, “We welcome the continuous animal health interventions such as synchronized vaccination and request that consideration be given to the issue of lack of water supply and the hampered area access occasioned by poor roads.”
It was claimed that for the first time, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination was being done in Wajir County with over 34,500 cattle vaccinated so far. Previous similar vaccination exercises carried out between 2019-2023 saw 37.8 million animals vaccinated in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, covering 1.68 million beneficiaries.
This joint cross-border vaccination activity contributes to the global initiative to eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) or “sheep and goat plague” by 2030, to strengthen food security and rural livelihoods. It is documented that PPR causes up to USD 2 billion in annual economic losses globally.
**The forum was convened under ICPALD’s EU-funded Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in Eastern Africa (PLACE) project
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